BMC ELECTIONS: DELIMITATION TO HIT 80% WARDS

MUMBAI: The redrawing of the electoral map of the city ahead of the civic polls in 2017 is likely to hit nearly 80% of the wards, upsetting calculations of political parties and many sitting corporators.

TheBrihanmumbaiMunicipal Corporation(BMC)willannounce the reservations and the new wards formed after delimitation on Monday. According to sources, while the number of wards (227) will remain the same, the areas they cover might change. Moreover, with the increase in scheduled caste (SC) population, the number of wards reserved for SC candidates has risen to 15 from the current 11. The number of wards in the open category will drop from the existing 77.

This means that 80% of the 227 corporators may not retain their wards and consequently the voter base, which they have nurtured over the past five years. The changes will make selection of candidates tricky.

The 2011 census, population growth in the suburbs and drop in theislandcityhavebeentakeninto account while redrawing electoral wards. Each ward has an approximate population of 54,000.

“The process has been going on for the past two years. We have taken the enumeration data from the 2011 census and carried out GIS mapping of electoral wards before redrawing the boundaries,” said a civic officials. According to sources, seven wards from the islandcitywillbereallocatedinthe suburbs, while three wards from the suburbs will be restructured.